Brian Noble, even in his long career as a player, coach and media pundit, recognised he had never said anything as pithily futile. "We'd like to go under the radar," he told an audience of Salford supporters, sponsors and the media at the club's season launch, held at the city's striking Lowry Theatre. "But there isn't much chance of that."

Noble has supervised the most extensive off-season shopping spree in recent Super League memory, signing 14 players including the England World Cup rebels Gareth Hock and Rangi Chase, the 2013 Grand Final winner Harrison Hansen from Wigan, and the Samoan bruisers Tony Puletua and Francis Meli from St Helens.

Even then the former Great Britain captain and coach might have had a chance of playing down the realistic expectations of a completely reshaped team, if he had not been preceded on stage by Dr Marwan Koukash. After one of the wide-ranging rants against the Rugby Football League that are in danger of becoming tedious, the saviour of the rebranded Red Devils – who was born on the West Bank near Bethlehem but fled with his family to Jordan during the 1967 war, and has since enjoyed success in business and recently as a racehorse owner – turned to the squad he has assembled and said that he was more excited by the prospect of watching them play together for the first time against Wakefield Trinity on Sunday than he had been before losing his virginity.

Dr Koukash pointed across the Manchester Ship Canal to Old Trafford, the venue for October's Grand Final, and said: "We want to be there sooner rather than later. I know you believe we can do it, and we're going to do it. Top four, gentlemen, that's what I'm hoping for. I'd be very disappointed if we're outside the top six."

Salford finished bottom of the pile last season, with six wins from 27 matches. As Noble said: "You can all clearly see why there is no pressure."

It may not be the way he, or any other coach, would choose to work. But the bearded, 53-year-old Yorkshireman is clearly enjoying himself, all the same.

His record as the most successful British coach of the Super League era is unlikely to be challenged soon, even by the impressive new generation led by Shaun Wane, Brian McDermott and Paul Anderson – the last two of whom were mainstays in his Bradford pack as the Bulls reached five consecutive Grand Finals from 2001-05, winning three of them in addition to three World Club Challenges and the 2003 Challenge Cup.

He then crossed the Pennines to lead Wigan away from the ridiculous but very real threat of relegation in 2006, and back into contention at the right end of the table before a new owner, Ian Lenagan, imported Michael Maguire from Melbourne to finish the job. Even then Noble further enhanced his reputation by steering the accident-prone Crusaders club through various crises that even involved relocation from Bridgend to Wrexham and into the top eight play-offs.

His record is so good that it seems strange that he should have gone more than two full seasons without a coaching gig, until Koukash decided that he had the knowledge, experience and even profile to be the perfect fit for his Salford project.

"It's great to be back at the sharp end," Noble said – in the spotlight rather than under the radar. His Devils could be the story of the season.